Senate performs well in 2016

Islamabad

The current parliamentary year of the Senate will end on March 11. However the outgoing calendar year saw the House handling massive number of items, including adoption of 41 government bills, introduction of another 43 private members bills. In addition 470 calling attention notices were also received till December.

During the calendar year 2016, the Senate passed total 54 bills: 13 private members’ bills and 41 government bills. A total of 43 private members’ bills were introduced in the Senate. Out of which, 35 bills were referred to the standing committees concerned whereas eight bills were not referred to any standing committee as those were drafted by the Committee of the Whole and were passed by the Senate.

Out of the remaining private members’ bills, the Senate passed only five bills and the remaining bills were still pending. The Senate also passed the bill titled: the Panama Papers Inquires Bill, 2016 without report of the standing committee as the committee could not present its report within the stipulated time period.

During the period, the Senate passed 41 government bills out of which 36 bills were received from the National Assembly, one bill titled: the Constitution (Twenty-second Amendment) Bill, 2016, was passed by the Senate without referring to the standing committee concerned and the remaining 35 bills were referred to the Standing Committees concerned and after detailed discussion and deliberations at the committee stage, these bills were passed by the Senate. 

One bill: titled the Futures Market Bill, 2016, was introduced in the Senate and referred to the relevant standing committee was also passed by the Senate. Four (04) Ordinances which were first tabled in the Senate and treated as Bills were also passed by the Senate.

Besides the House received a record 2,695 starred questions out of which 2,344 were admitted, 101 were disallowed and 250 lapsed whereas 1,305 starred questions were replied, 15 were referred to standing committees and 1,013 lapsed. A total of 76 un-starred questions were admitted out of 78 and 44 of the admitted questions received replies.

Motions under rule 60: 10 out of 14 motions received under rule 60 were admitted. Five were discussed in the House and five lapsed. Out of 455 motions received under rule 218, 374 were admitted in the House. Discussion was held on 49 motions, 4 were referred to standing committees, 19 were dropped and 300 motions lapsed.

Moreover, as many as 372 resolutions were received this year from different members of the Senate out of which 303 were admitted. Seventy (70) resolutions were passed by the House, 2 were rejected, 3 were withdrawn, 2 referred to standing committees, 22 were dropped due to absence of members and 203 resolutions were admitted but lapsed.

A total of 17 privilege motions were received in Senate this year. 7 of these motions were referred to privilege committee, nine are under process and one was withdrawn by the mover.

Likewise, 264 adjournment motions were received in 2016. Among others, 40 were declared out of order, 28 were discussed in the House, 12 were referred to standing committees, 12 were withdrawn and 45 were dropped.

The Senate received 470 calling attention notices this year: 92 were discussed in House and were responded to by the ministers concerned, 98 were disallowed, 10 were referred to standing committees and 153 were admitted but lapsed.

Total number of committee meetings held this year by end November is 463. Different standing, functional and special committees of Senate examined 40 items of legislative and 62 items of non-legislative business.  26 bills examined by committees were reported back to the House and 50 matters including standing orders, petitions and questions were referred back to House after consideration and discussion.

A number of new committees were formed this year to address issues which do not come under direct jurisdiction of the already present committees. Committee on Delegated Legislation, Committee on Marginalised Segments of Society and a special committee to explore the possibility and prepare the case of Abdul Sattar Edhi for award of Nobel Prize were formed to scrutinise and report to the Senate of Pakistan on matters pertaining to rules, regulations, by-laws or other statutory instruments conferred by the Constitution or delegated by the Parliament, to liaise with organisations already working for marginalised segments of society. 

It will review the existing laws pertaining to the rights of marginalised segments of society and propose legislative reforms and consider and prepare Edhi's case for the Nobel Prize respectively.

The Committee of the whole-an initiative of Senate last year-came up with several many crucial outputs this year. Eights bills drafted by this committee on speedy and inexpensive justice were passed by the House this year. The committee to consider mode of elections of members of Senate also presented its first report in May this year which called for adhering to the present system but also asked for making it more transparent. 

The committee also discussed this year the legislative, administrative and other measures required for mainstreaming Fata and on the need for revival of student unions in the country separately. The Senate of Pakistan has also constituted this year committees on devolution, delegated legislation and ethics.

On September 26, the House constituted a Committee of the Whole to prepare policy guidelines in light of emerging regional realities and role of United States. The Committee of the Whole held an in-camera meeting on September 29, 2016, to seek briefing from the government on the situation between India and Pakistan. 

After detailed and extensive deliberations, the Chairman Senate constituted a Drafting Committee, comprising of following Senators, to prepare draft policy guidelines and bring the same before the Committee of Whole. A set of 22 policy guidelines was prepared by the drafting committee and approved by the committee of the whole. 

The guidelines included constituting a task force for formulating a doable and sustainable India/Kashmir policy, a Media Coordination Committee including selected journalists plus representatives of the Foreign Office, Ministry of Information, parliament and intelligence to prepare fact sheets and a counter-propaganda campaign against India, periodical/ regular special briefings for the foreign media, re-establishing a Public Diplomacy Office in the Foreign Office, supporting all initiatives taken for peace and stability in the region, a non-episodic role / engagement of OIC in the Kashmir issue, a firm stance on the Indus Water Treaty , having a full-time foreign minister among others.